The Winnipeg Sea Bears clinched their first-ever Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) championship by defeating the Brampton Honey Badgers 98-84 in the league’s single-game title match on Saturday. Simon Hildebrandt, a local favorite, sealed the victory with a decisive three-pointer in front of a record-breaking crowd of 12,519 at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.
Xavier Moon, a three-time CEBL MVP, led the Sea Bears with 29 points, shooting three for four from the three-point range and contributing seven rebounds and six assists. Moon, who returned to the CEBL this season after a five-year hiatus, earned his third Finals MVP accolade in aiding Winnipeg in overcoming the absence of the injured star forward Teddy Allen.
Moon expressed his joy, saying, “It’s crazy to be back in this environment again. I mean, obviously, familiar territory for me for winning, but to do it in a city that’s never won a playoff game, I think it means a lot more. This one is a lot more special than the first one. So, like I’ve been saying, man, I’m happy for my teammates, and I’m happy for the city of Winnipeg.”
Jelani Watson-Gayle, a Sea Bears guard, impressed off the bench with a game-high five three-pointers. Hildebrandt also contributed significantly with four three-pointers, ending the match with 24 points. On the opposing side, Sean East II of the Honey Badgers led his team with 27 points, while Trentyn Flowers, another guard, added 20 points. Brampton trailed 46-42 at halftime and 73-60 going into the final quarter.
Mike Raimbault, the new head coach of the Sea Bears, lauded the organization’s deserving championship, stating, “I’m just super happy for everybody that is out there celebrating today and that it came to fruition because the organization did definitely deserve a championship.”
The CEBL championship was initially planned as a three-game series concluding on Sunday, but due to court condensation issues during Wednesday’s first game at Brampton’s CAA Centre, the series was disrupted and later canceled. The league, after consulting with both teams, reverted to a single-game format to determine the champion, a format used from 2019 to 2025.
The Honey Badgers aimed to secure their second CEBL championship after their 2022 triumph when the franchise was based in Hamilton. The Sea Bears, finishing second in the Western Conference, triumphed over the Saskatoon Mamba and Vancouver Bandits in the West playoffs to secure their spot in the final.
Similarly, the Honey Badgers, finishing second in the Eastern Conference, advanced to the final after defeating the Ottawa BlackJacks and Niagara River Lions in the East playoffs. Despite the loss, East II of the Honey Badgers acknowledged their efforts, saying, “We fought hard. We dealt with adversity. Not the outcome we wanted. We turned the Brampton program around so we can be happy about that for sure.”